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Running your own business is one of the greatest challenges you will ever face. I should know: I’ve been there, and what’s more I’m still here, leading Secret Surgery, as I have since its inception in 2010.

It’s been exhausting, it’s been rewarding and it’s been more fun than I could have ever imagined. Highlights, while too many to list, but include receiving our 100th positive patient testimonial from Carole, watching a few patients give birth to longed for children, and following the massive weightloss of some 40 stone within our support group since January 2013, lots of ladies publishing their success stories in glossy magazines, aswell as helping hundreds of men and women feel good about their bodies again.

That’s not to say it’s all been plain sailing of course. It doesn’t matter whether you’re running a sweet shop or a cosmetic surgery company: there are going to be pitfalls, setbacks and days when you just want to go back to bed and wake up in an alternate reality. One where None of This Stuff is Happening.

Financially, Secret Surgery is in better shape than ever, with record numbers of patients jetting off to our Polish clinic to experience surgery abroad. Judging by the positive testimonials that keep pouring in, we appear to be adhering to our mission statement and delivering on our promises. To invoke a well-worn saying however, you can’t please all the people all of the time.

Since January 2013, I have been subjected to a campaign of vicious harassment by a former patient. Disgruntled by her experience of cosmetic surgery that wasn’t even booked through my company, the patient proceeded to wage a one-woman war against me, going so far as to make up false allegations about Secret Surgery and to dupe sections of the tabloid press into publicising her ‘story’. This matter has been addressed in a previous blog post http://secret-surgery.com/2013/07/21/setting-the-record-straight-that-mail-on-sunday-article/ so I won’t rehash the story here. Suffice to say the last few months have been a waking nightmare which I am confident the women in question will be delighted to hear.

Constant press intrusion, personal attacks and attempts to undermine Secret Surgery’s hard-earned reputation are just some of the flak that’s come my way daily. In particular, this woman’s vendetta has left me physically and emotionally exhausted. I am still in the early stages of recovering from thigh surgery and have been forced to wage a war on two fronts, trying to protect my business and safeguard my own health. As a consequence, I have decided to take a step back and focus on my own welfare for the time being as my personal health and happiness is much higher value. Once I have fully recuperated, I’ll be ready to lead Secret Surgery once again.

I’d like to thank all of Secret Surgery’s customers and associates for their ongoing support and messages at this time. Rest assured that in my absence, the company will continue moving forward, despite my decision to adopt a less visible presence. There are a number of exciting developments ahead for the company and I can’t wait to share them with you when the time is right. Please note that in spite of my hiatus, I will still be fulfilling all pre-arranged commitments including meetings and scheduled trips.

Finally, some good news has arrived this week amidst all the turmoil: I have verbal confirmation that the hospital’s insurance company has completed its Investigations. It pertains to the claim that was filed by the disgruntled woman whose harassment campaign caused this maelstrom. The independent panel’s findings have revealed that during the woman’s hospital stay, everything was conducted professionally, ethically and within normal parameters. The panel has cleared both the surgeon and the hospital of any form of malpractice, vindicating everything I have said about this spurious claim from the outset. In spite of these findings, I don’t expect the harassment to stop sadly – the woman in question has some serious personal issues, and it will take more than a legal letter to quell her campaign.

Throughout this ordeal, I have done my utmost to bite my tongue and refrain from speaking my mind. Trust me, when you’re facing an individual who is hell-bent on destroying your business, your family life and everything you’ve worked for, this isn’t easy. I am a businesswoman and a mother and I will fight to defend the things that I hold dear. This means taking an aggressive stance against any opportunists friends of said person who believe they can join her campaign or blackmail to extort me with the threat of going to the press to tell tall tales.

Should an individual ever have cause to file a genuine claim against Secret Surgery, the matter will be thoroughly investigated and the claimant will be treated with the utmost respect throughout the process. This situation has really identified a few money-grabbers, pathological liars and charlatans; none of which will be given the time of day.

While 2013 has been something of an annus horribilis, I will emerge from it stronger, wiser and better prepared for whatever life may care to throw at me.

Thank you once again for taking the time to read this and for your continued support. It means everything!

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Yep, more magazine news, but this time it’s not Real People – but keep your eyes out next week for more details on that, too! Today, we’re letting you know that Secret Surgery, and our beautiful founder, Angela Chouaib, have been featured in glamorous women’s mag, Essentials!

You’ll find us in the October edition of the magazine, so get ready to get buying! The feature is all about the women who opt for cosmetic surgery, and how popular procedures are becoming with ordinary women. No longer is cosmetic surgery something reserved only for the richest and most powerful of Hollywood; now, for just a few thousand pounds, you can look like the person you’ve always felt like on the inside.

Angela Chouaib, Secret Surgery’s founder and MD, has been featured in the article as one of the glamorous girls who has undergone surgery. Angela had bariatric surgery years ago, and has recently opted for a thigh lift. She’s not only Secret Surgery’s founder, but she’s one of our patients, too!

For more gossip and glam, make sure you buy the October edition of Essentials… it’s… essential!

There have been rumours about the risks and dangers of surgery abroad for a long time, and the recent surgery abroad feature in Real People magazine has done its best to put some of these rumours to rest. Want to know the difference between FACT and FICTION? Read on below to find out what our favourite untrue surgery abroad rumours are:

Patients are rich jet-setters. FALSE. Most of our patients are normal working people on normal working wages.

Surgery abroad often goes wrong. FALSE. In a Leeds University study, only two participants weren’t happy with the results.

Patients choose clinics based in countries where they can speak the language. FALSE. Actually, most patients aren’t that well-travelled and usually speak only English.

If you want to know more about not just Secret Surgery, but surgery abroad in general, then be sure to pick up the latest copy of Real People magazine, which should be in your local shops! We’ve spilled all the gossip on what overseas surgery is REALLY like!

One of the sections in our latest feature in Real People magazine detailed the savings that you can make by opting to have surgery abroad rather than in the UK. The feature gave some fantastic examples of surgery costs in the UK and elsewhere, and shows just how much you can save if you put your mind to it – and just how much UK surgeons really milk you for all you’ve got!

Some of the best examples from the article are:

Liposuction in the Czech Republic costs, on average, £1,800 compared to £3,540 in the UK.

A tummy tuck in Poland would cost £2,096 compared to £5,660 in the UK.

A facelift in Poland would cost £2,220 compared to £6,950 in the UK.

These examples are all from Europe, but the article also details the costs if you want to fly out to Thailand or Malaysia. Of course, it’s cheaper to travel to Europe than Asia, but if you’re desperate for an Eastern holiday then why not combine the two?

Hopefully this feature will go some way to convincing the general public that surgery abroad isn’t something to be avoided – and it shows that it’s not just countries like Poland which have cheaper prices than the UK – just about everywhere does!

We’re in the news again! Fittingly, Secret Surgery has been featured in a recent edition of Real People magazine, and we got bags of attention and lots of page space, so we’re going to take our time and show you the features over a few different blogs.

One of the Secret Surgery features in the magazine was ‘Sun, Sea and Silicone’, and as the title might suggest it was all about going abroad to bag yourself a nice holiday and a hot new bod while you’re there. The feature dealt with all the different aspects of surgery abroad, including the risks (or lack of), the savings, the background to how it all started, and of course, some expert advice from our wonderful founder and MD, Angela Chouaib!

It also contains top tips for those of you who are out there looking for a surgery abroad provider now, because, as we always stress – you can never be too careful to choose the right one.

If you’re popping out today, pick up a copy of Real People magazine – it’s full of juicy stories and gossip about your favourite surgery abroad clinic – and it’s got some good pics too!

For those readers who want even more Secret Surgery low-down, we’ve got just the thing for you. If you haven’t yet seen our website’s new forum, then it’s time to head over there and get posting. You can find it on the main site here.

The Secret Surgery forum is the perfect place to ask for advice, information and support from surgery experts, past patients, and friends you’ve yet to meet! We hope that everyone using the forum gets something out of it, whether it’s a titbit of advice you’d never heard before or a new friend.

You can post on just about any topic relating to Secret Surgery and what we do, from diet advice and weight loss to patient stories and travel advice. And don’t worry – we do moderate it, so you don’t need to worry about trolls lurking in every thread!

So if you haven’t already, come and join us in our Secret Surgery forum for more gossip and girl giggles!

Last year we held a VIP trip to Wroclaw for our very special friends, patients and readers; well, it was so successful that we thought we’d do the same again this year! We promised a lot of you last year that it wouldn’t be the last time we saw you, and we hope you’ll join us for the same fun and frolics again this year.

The trip is open to everyone, whether you’ve been a previous patient or you’d just like to meet us and see what being a part of the Secret Surgery family is all about. It’ll be taking place from Friday 6th December to Monday 10th, and regional flights are available from Liverpool, the East Midlands, Bristol and Stansted – so there’s no excuse not to come!

There’ll be a meal out every evening of the trip, and we’ve organised a guided tour around the city on Saturday. On Sunday, you’ll get a tour of the hospital, a presentation, and… our favourite bit… a goody bag! So you’ll have something to remember your trip with.

If you’re still not convinced, just take a look at this video of last year’s trip… and tell us is doesn’t look amazing!